Prune picker



Mar. 3. 1925. 1,528,241'I H. L. BERBERICH FRUNE PICKER Filed Sept. 23. 1922 @a-.Za

I A TTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 3, 1925.

UNITED STATES 1,528,241 PATENT orner-.2.. i

HARRY L. BEBBERIGH, 0F HOLLISTER, CALIFORNIA.

PRUNE Application led September To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY L. Bnnnnnrorr, a citizen of the United States, and a resident ot Hollister, county oft San Benito, State of California, have invented a new and useful Prune Picker, ot which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in tools designed to Facilitate the picking up of prunes or the like. Referring` to prunes ]V articularly it is customary to allow the prunes to drop from the trees when they reach a certain stage ot maturity and to pick them up from theA ground. ln an orchard ot large dimensions it takes consid erable time and a large crew oiimen to pick the prunes by hand and I propose to provide a device in the present invention that will greatly facilitate the picking' ot the prunes,

allowing' quite a number of them to beV picked up simultaneously and dropped into a box or bucket.

llith these objects in mind l have shown the preferred form ot' my invention in the accompanyingn drawing' in which Figure l shows a top plan view ot my implement, Fia-ure 2 a vertical section through the same and 'Figure 3 detail view of a portion ot the bottom member ot the trame used in my device. lllhile l have shown only the preferred form ot the invention it should be understood that various changes or n'iodilications may be made within the scope of the claims hereto attached without departing Ytrom the spirit ot the invention.

The frame (l) et my prune picking' device comprises a plate (2) shown in plan view in Figure 3 ot open construction so as to allow the operator to look through the saine and provided with a plurality ot per-A lorations and the handle supported in spaced relation to the plate 2) by any suitable means as by the spacing members (6). A second plate (7) of substantially the same outlines as the frame plate and of similar open construction is disposed within the frame and normally forced into contact wit-h the frame plate by means ot a spring' (8) pressing' on the handle (9) for the second plate. The latter plate is provided with a plurality of downwardly'extending pins (ll) disposed so as to register with the various perforations (3) in the trame plate` It will be seen that in their normal position the pins extend through the frame plate and are adapted to engage a plurality of prunes PICKER.

as, 1922. sei-iai No. 590,168.

lying scattered on the ground when brought in contact with the saine. The pins pierce the prunes suflioiently far to hold the same when the instrument *is lifted. This pierce ing` does not harm the prunes since in the ordinary drying process the prunes are usually guided over a rockingboard provided with needles for breaking up the skin and thereby assisting the drying` process. The operator after having lifted a number ot prunes by means ot the device lifts the same over a box or bucket o-r other receptaele and pulls on the handle against the resistance ot the spring (8) which causes the plate (7) to be lifted relative to the frame plate and the pins to be withdrawn during which operation the prunes are pushed from the pins "by the trame plate Stops (lll) provided in the spacing; member (6) limit the upward motion ot the pin holding plate.

l claim:

l, In an implement for picking' prunes or the like, a trame comprising' a perforated plate having a handle supported in parallel and spaced relation thereto, a second plate between the handle and thelirst plate havingi a Aplurality ot prune piercing elements thereon extending through the peri'orations in the trame plate, a spring' bearing on the handle normally urging the plates together so as to cause the prune piercing'.r elements to project beyond. the trame plate, but allowing; the second plate to be drawn away from the trame plate toward the handle whereby the prune piercing elements are withdrawn through the perforat-ions.

2. ln an implement for picking` prunes or the like, a frame comprising); a perforated plate having a handle supported in parallel and spaced Yrelation thereto` a second plate between the handle and the tirst platehaving' a plurality of prune piercingi elements 

